Are Whitening Treatments Safe?

Teeth whitening treatment was once only something celebrities did. With the cosmetology and beauty industries booming in today’s society, whitening your smile has become routine even for civilians. Even in the worlds of business and entertainment, there is a particular demand for strong, attractive smiles. Your smile is the first point of contact and the first impression you give to someone you are meeting for the first time. The whiter your teeth are for these interactions, the more confident you can be and a whiter smile will represent you.

You can whiten your teeth naturally by eating plenty of fresh fruits and raw vegetables. There are also home remedies you can use, such as baking soda or a combination of lime and salt. However, if overused, these methods can erode the enamel of your teeth. Toothpastes, whitening strips, whitening gels, and chewing gums are available over the counter as more efficient tools. If you want to go a step further in getting a more permanent white, you can seek clinical treatments, such as whitening kits and laser treatments. While more expensive, these are the fastest and most effective ways to whiten your teeth.

Whitening kits and laser treatments bleach the teeth by use of oxidizing agents, which are perfectly safe. A chief ingredient in home whitening kits is carbamide peroxide, which the FDA has approved in percentages of up to 30 percent. Most dentists prefer to whiten teeth using hydrogen peroxide, which is what carbamide peroxide becomes after breaking down. Patients expect their chairside treatments to work much faster than home kits that rely on the slower transition of carbamide peroxide into hydrogen peroxide. For more details on how you can brighten your smile, schedule an appointment with our expert in teeth whitening in Northridge.